METHOD AND A SYSTEM FOR DISTRIBUTING OF USER EQUIPMENT CONTEXT IN AN EVOLVED PACKET SYSTEM

• US 20140022996A1
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Europe Ltd
• Inventors: Punz, Gottfried
• Granted Patent: US 9,313,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/12 Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/16 Performing reselection for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers

Abstract

A method for distributing user equipment context in an evolved packet system, including a plurality of user equipment, at least one eNodeB, a first mobility management entity and a second mobility management entity and one serving gateway connected to the first and second mobility management entity, the plurality of user equipment being connected via one of the eNodeBs to the second mobility management entity and to the serving gateway, wherein the user equipment context for the plurality of user equipment is each stored at the second mobility management entity, includes:

• • a)transferring bulk user equipment context for the plurality of user equipment context, each having a mobility management entity code, to the first mobility management entity,
  • b) reconfiguring the mobility management entity codes,
  • c) storing the transferred user equipment context in the first mobility management entity, and
  • d) transferring reconfigured mobility management entity codes to the at least one eNodeB.

Claims

1. A method for distributing of user equipment context in an evolved packet system, comprising

a plurality of user equipment, (UE)

at least one eNodeB, (eNB)

at least a first mobility management entity (MME1) and a second mobility management entity (MME2) and

at least one serving gateway (SGW) connected to at least the first and second mobility management entity (MME1, MME2), wherein the plurality of user equipment (UE) is connected via one of the eNodeBs (eNB) to the second mobility management entity (MME2) and to the at least one serving gateway (SGW), wherein

the user equipment context for the plurality of user equipment (UE) is each stored at the second mobility management entity (MME2),

characterized by the steps

a)Transferring bulk user equipment context for the plurality of user equipment context stored at the second mobility management entity (MME2) to the first mobility management entity (MME1) within a first transfer time, wherein the user equipment context includes for each user equipment (UE) a mobility management entity code (MMEC),

b) Reconfiguring the mobility management entity codes (MMEC) by and in the first mobility management entity (MME1),

c) Storing the transferred user equipment context in the first mobility management entity (MME1), and

d) Transferring the reconfigured mobility management entity codes (MMEC) to the at least one eNodeB (eNB).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that transferring bulk user equipment context according to step a) is performed additionally for the serving gateways (SGW).

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized by the further step of

d) Sending at least one activation message to the serving gateway (SGW) by the first mobility management entity (MME1).

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized by the further step of e) switching the second mobility management entity (MME2) to an energy saving state.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that user equipment context stored at the second mobility management entity (MME2) which has been altered during the first transfer time at the second mobility management entity (MME2) is transferred to the first mobility management entity (MME1) within a second transfer time in a further step f).

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that user equipment context stored at the second mobility management entity (MME2) which has been altered during the second transfer time at the second mobility management entity (MME2) is transferred to the first mobility management entity (MME1) within a third transfer time in a further step g).

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that transferring bulk user equipment context according to step f) and/or g) is performed additionally for the serving gateways (SGW).

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the second mobility management entity (MME2) to which the user equipment (UE) is connected, initiates the transfer of the user equipment context, preferably via a bulk data transfer mechanism.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the user equipment context includes a correlation identifier.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that when the energy saving state of the second mobility management entity (MME2) is revoked at least corresponding steps a)-c) are performed with the first and second mobility management entity (MME1, MME2) being switched.

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that initiation of step a) is triggered externally of the second mobility management entity (MME2), preferably by a device in an operation-and-maintenance system.

14. The method according to claim 2, characterized by the further step of e) switching the second mobility management entity (MME2) to an energy saving state.

15. The method according to claim 3, characterized by the further step of e) switching the second mobility management entity (MME2) to an energy saving state.

16. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that user equipment context stored at the second mobility management entity (MME2) which has been altered during the first transfer time at the second mobility management entity (MME2) is transferred to the first mobility management entity (MME1) within a second transfer time in a further step f).

17. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that user equipment context stored at the second mobility management entity (MME2) which has been altered during the first transfer time at the second mobility management entity (MME2) is transferred to the first mobility management entity (MME1) within a second transfer time in a further step f).

18. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that transferring bulk user equipment context according to step f) and/or g) is performed additionally for the serving gateways (SGW).

12. A system for distributing of user equipment context in an evolved packet system, comprising

a plurality of user equipment (UE),

at least one eNodeB (eNB),

a first mobility management entity (MME1) and a to each other,

a second mobility management entity (MME2) and at least one serving gateway (SGW) connected to the first and second mobility management entity (MME1, MME2), wherein the plurality of user equipment (UE) is connected via one of the eNodeBs (eNB) to the second mobility management entity (MMEC2), wherein the user equipment context for the plurality of user equipment (UE) is each stored at the second mobility management entity (MME2) characterized in that

the second mobility management entity is operable to transfer bulk user equipment context for the plurality of user equipment context stored at the second mobility management entity (MME2) to the first mobility management entity (MME1) within a transfer time, wherein the user equipment (UE) context includes for each user equipment (UE) a mobility management entity code (MMEC), and that the first mobility management entity (MME1) is operable to reconfigure the mobility management entity codes (MMEC) in the first mobility management entity (MME1), to transfer the reconfigured mobility management entity codes to the at least one eNodeB (eNB) and to store transferred user equipment context.

13. The system according to claim 12, characterized in that at least the second mobility management entity (MME2) has an energy saving state as at least one its of operational states.